The Time Traveler's story
1947, Boston United States
About twenty years have passed since the beginning of my journey, I have continued my life or rather started a new one, in Boston. I have raised a daughter, child of two centuries. I hope one day she'll read this and believe that what I am saying is the truth, because it is. I have tried to move on and push away everything that happened, continue with my late-husband Frank, but I couldn't. My name is Claire, Claire Beauchamp Randall, that's who I am here at least…
In the summer of 1946 I was in France on a second honeymoon with my husband Frank. It was our first trip since the beginning of the war. We had decided to go to a château at the Loire and while my husband was enjoying the splendid architecture, I found myself enjoying the sun and my surroundings. It was as if the gardens had been protected from everything, as if they had frozen in time. I was lost in these thoughts when I suddenly heard a buzzing sound. I tried to figure out what it was but I had never heard anything like it. The sound beckoned me, luring into the labyrinth of perfectly cut plants. I followed it to the heart of the maze, the sound grew louder and louder and a strange feeling overcame me -I know now that it was the presence of magic that I felt. In the middle of a small yard in the heart of the maze stood a single marble stone which radiated from a strange energy. I was drawn and fascinated by it so I came closer. I never imagined what it could be and my curiosity took over, I put my hands on the cool marble and everything went black.
When I woke up, I heard the sounds that belonged to people, the bustling of a busy marketplace. It sounded close yet far and I stood up, frowning. I thought I was still where I had been, everything looked exactly the same, so I wondered why there suddenly were so many people while me and Frank had been alone at first. I tried to find my way back to the maze but to my frustration, I no longer knew where to go. 'Frank?!' I had called my husband's name in the hope he would hear me and search for me. Instead I was greeted with an unknown voice 'Who are you?' as I turned around I saw an impressive looking lady, surrounded by armoured men. My eyes were drawn to her clothing and the armours of the men. I noticed the French lily on the men and the woman wore a long renaissance styled dress. I shook my head 'I'm dreaming, this is impossible…' I remember mumbling. 'The queen asked you a question' one of the men said. I replied with my name, my girl name, Claire Beauchamp and asked them what year we were, 1559. I heard them asking if I was an English spy but everything they said passed in a blur. How had this been possible, how had I found my way to 1559… I had to get back to the stone. I felt how my legs started moving and I saw the maze passing on a fast pace and then I fell. The weight on my back, and later the voice told me someone was holding me down and most likely tripped me. I pleaded to them to let me go but to no avail. I was thrown into a dungeon.
I spent hours alone on the cold floor of my prison, praying for someone to let me go until I heard the sound of footsteps and faint voices coming closer. The impressive lady again, I now knew she was the queen. She was accompanied by a tall man, clothed in furs, with a distant look in his eyes. Again she asked who I was and again I replied with my name. She asked some more questions and I tried to answer them as good as I could without being found a heretic. I saw how her eyes went to my clothes again and again. I wore a light, white summer dress that day so my legs were entirely bare. I shivered under their gazes and again pleaded that they'd let me go. When they refused I tried to put all the pieces together to find a way out myself. I know quite a lot about history thanks to Frank. Eventually I put the pieces together, this queen was not just any queen, it was Catherine de' Medici. I know that what I did next was a risk and I am still surprised that I dared to do it. After I asked them the date -which made the queen frown as surely she remembered me asking the year earlier- I told them the king would soon be killed because he lost his mind but that he would go crazy by poison. They never found how they had poisoned the king of France but it was my last shot. They believed me, though still skeptical. They asked me how I knew so I replied I was a seer. Both of them left.
For days, no one came unless to give me food and water and one day I was led out of my cell, only to be put into a wagon, the court was moving. In the new château, to my surprise I was put into small chambers and a servant came to draw me a bath and help me in new clothing. Then I was summoned to the privy chambers of Catherine de' Medici. She believed me, but she wanted to keep me as a courtseer, together with the man, that I realized soon was Nostradamus. I was defeated, or so I thought back then, never would I know that Catherine would become my friend and that I would want to stay but be forced to leave.
This is only meant as a sort of prequel and an introduction to Claire (credits for this character to Diana Gabaldon). You definitely don't need to have seen Outlander or read the books as the other chapters will be all in Catherine's perspective and Claire is more gonna be my OC. This sucks but I tried.